Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 1726 - 1725 - Hidden Divine Lord

Once Lind became a Divine Lord, he had a vague sense of just how few there were. If True Lords could be counted in the hundreds, Divine Lords did not even break 30!

Compared to the nearly trillions of lives across realms, that made it a very exclusive group. The Divine Lord he met on the Emerald Isle was clear as day to him despite being so far away.

The ties of karma between them was the likely cause there as well as a friendly bond left open by the elder worm.

As he had flown across the Northern Continent, he could faintly feel a few more. Most were dormant or clearly in some kind of seclusion as he just barely felt them. Others were much easier and far more active.

Yet, Aristrossa had stressed they were the only 2 in the entire Northern Continent. He had known she was wrong but she was not lying either.

That left the possibility that his skill to detect other Divine Lords was unique to him, or at least restricted to the quality of Divine Lord he had become.

Thus, he waited until his fleet was complete as it took a higher priority and waited to see which race held back from using them.

The dragons had surprised him as it was his understanding that Divine Lords generally did not spawn in the same beast race. So when he confirmed there was only a draconic aura, he assumed he was dealing with a deviation from his bloodline.

It was only when he was closer that he felt something familiar to him.

Illyria had gained draconic traits from him and now he saw a similar being but unlike her, this one seemed to be natural. There was no sign of blending nor anything else like dragon blood was added to the black shelled tortoise.

Also, he had heard of the particular beast before in legends and stories he had researched. It was similar to how he was a Divine Dragon compared to a normal dragon. His bloodline afforded him superior skills and abilities beyond raw power.

If 2 dragons fought, assuming the higher bloodline could not dominate by sheer will, the higher bloodline would be stronger in aura, scales, claws, and so forth. In essence, the higher quality blood resulted in higher quality materials.

So, he met a version of the black shelled tortoise that was very rare but was of the Divine quality.

Divine Lord Black Dragon Tortoise was much stronger than the pure tortoise bloodlines thanks to the dragon traces fused into it. The fact he met yet another fused race in the Northern Continent gave him an idea why so many had been born and thrived there.

They had a Divine Lord originally leading the way!

The being before him was old, very old. How many epochs had they survived? He had no way to know but even with the massive improvement in his foundation, he felt like an ant in front of the massive body before him.

[It has been a long time since so many things existed in one person. A Divine Progenitor Dragon and now a Divine Lord. Unique to you is the harmony you have had since you began your journey. The young truly outshine the older generations.]

An ancient and wizened voice spoke in his mind. He smiled as he cupped his hands and bowed but he then transformed.

He had not assumed his dragon body in a long time and even he was surprised as there were changes.

His rich emerald scales actually glowed with power but his mane had changed! It was now shifting in color as he felt all 6 Origin Seed power flowing through the individual hairs. His limbs had grown thinner but the power in them had tripled! The golden claws were longer too but able to move more delicately than before.

His 3 horns were still on his forehead but there was a thrum of power in each of them that actually disrupted the space around his head if he did not tamp it down. His eyes were also far more piercing than ever before as he towered over even the black shelled tortoise in front of him.

The 2 beast auras gently clashed but all the dragons in the area flinched when it happened. Lind glanced around and no dragon could look him in the eye. Their icy bodies could withstand the horrific storms of the surface but in front of him, they were puppies.

[He he he. No need to show off boy, I am not here to fight you. I do not have much time left.] The voice spoke but Lind did notice the tail was still defiantly looking up at him. Lind smiled to reveal his razor sharp teeth in his maw.

[I am not showing off. I honestly wanted to know how I stood up to my senior Divine Lord. You know what I am planning?] Lind did not waste time as the fleets were on their way.

A flash of light blinded him and an old woman with a black cane and white robes appeared. She seemed unbothered by the piercing cold winds. Lind bowed and transformed back.

It took him far longer than her as he was not nearly as experienced. Compressing his power back into his usual human form seemed harder yet natural at the same time. It was an odd feeling.

He saw her dark eyes were still that of her beast form but they were bottomless wells of wisdom.

"They are reluctant to leave me here but I told them they have to go. I suppose your little demonstration hammered home my time is over." Lind began to grasp something.

"You protected what life remained here and the dragons helped you?" She smiled and her wrinkled skin spread wide as she nodded. She then casually swiped the air and space was torn open to some cavern.

Lind felt many auras but she quickly snatched something and it slammed shut.

A broken black ring was in her palm that she gently caressed before holding up to him.

"She died helping me. We did not understand what was happening back then. My mind was affected too and only now after you brought them back do I remember the Celestials." Lind was surprised as even the worm did not recall them so it showed he ascended later.

Haro appeared and looked heartbroken. All the dragons in the air instantly knelt on the ground. The Guardians were revered already with True Lords but when they were transformed by a Divine Lord, they became so much more to them.

Haro carefully picked up the black ring fragments before looking above.

[Creator of us all, another has fallen but was treasured by her ward. She fulfilled her Oaths and fell.] Lind felt like they were important words more than his true feelings and it was followed by his ring starting to shimmer.

A powerful will distorted space and Haro gently dropped the pieces into the tear. It snapped shut and both he and the old woman looked at each other.

"Is he a good one?" Lind arched an eyebrow at such a direct question but Haro smiled as he bowed to her.

"I have had the honor of serving 5 True Lords and he is not only the only one to reach Divine Lord status but has expanded my horizons for what is possible. My Creator would have greatly enjoyed discussing the Dao of Forging with him." It was the first he had heard that the maker of the rings was a Forger but it made sense.

They had far too many functions for their size and intended future growth. A Dao Grade storage ring was huge but had maybe half the ability of Haro put into it.

A Mystery Grade ring had yet to be seen by him aside from Haro and his siblings. Even so, he suspected they would still not match up.

A refined artifact had severe limits compared to a Forged one.

Haro then bowed before going back into his ring. He had to save his strength as he too would be fighting. Lind could hold no one back in what was to come.

The old woman then frowned as she looked him up and down.

"You don't seem like a fool but you must know how much stronger that monstrosity is. Even I, a peak Master Tier, would stand no chance with my Divine Authority against him." Lind nodded but he knew it was worse than she knew.

He kept it a secret that even if they won tomorrow, it only bought them time. How much time he had no idea but that was a problem for the future.

First, they had to live.

"I have confidence in my next Mystery soon. The final one I can only hope but regardless. We have to fight. What is coming will not let us wait. I struck a blow and have to continue to strike hard while he heals. There is no retreat or waiting left." He laid the truth bare but the old woman only frowned more deeply.

He realized she thought he was acting arrogantly and she was not entirely wrong. He was gambling on something. He was gambling that all the efforts of his other selves were going to pay off in the final life he had grasped.

He sighed as he knew he had to let her know the truth as she seemed unaware.

He held out his hand and she gently took it. She then saw the unvarnished truth Karu had told him and his own experience. His confrontations with the Bastard had revealed how much power the monster actually had.

Once she saw that, her skin paled even more and she looked far older than before. The can shook in her other hand as the ice shattered beneath her feet.

She looked up at him and realized he had still held something back.

"You are confident about surviving but that is not what has you worried. There is something in the next realm, isn't there?" He slowly nodded but she then waved her hand.

The howling winds, ice dragons, and all else turned to silence and an opaque white wall. She looked at him seriously.

"The Eternal Realm." A thump went through his chest but that was all. Had he advanced so much? He glanced at his body and saw it was glowing with emerald light. His harmony had protected him!

"Wouldn't that mean all this is pointless?" The name of the realm made him wary. Yet, his other version had not given up. There had to be a way!

She smiled at him and shook her head.

"It is not so easy. There are only 2 steps but the first step is still vulnerable. Only an Eternal can kill an Eternal. I am close to the end with no hope of advancement but I have learned of it. I cannot say anything else safely but I know this much. There is still a chance if that monster is also out there." She understood without him explaining and even knew more than him!

He bowed and was glad there was hope. All the sacrifices and future losses would not be in vain if they won.

The barrier was dismissed and she turned to the floating dragons all around them.

[Go and follow the Divine Lord Lind Frey. It is time to pay back that monster for all he has done!]